I love Chinese food because it is so quick and easy to cook. With managing a very demanding one-year-old and keeping the house clean, I sometimes have no time left to cook. That's when a quick stir-fry recipe comes to the rescue! This recipe is one of my favourites; juicy chicken chunks combined with crunchy roasted peanuts and fresh vegetables. Truly healthy and delicious! Ingredients: - One chicken breast, diced - 1 small bell pepper, diced - 1/2 yellow bell pepper (optional, just for colour) - 1 small sized zucchini - 1 carrot - Green chillies sliced diagonally (as required) - Red chilli flakes, for taste - 1/2 cup peanuts - 1/2 chicken stock cube - 2 tbsp corn flour - 1 tsp ginger and garlic paste For the marinade: - 2 tbsp soy sauce - freshly crushed peppercorns - 1 chopped green chilli - salt, for taste Method: 1. Marinate the chicken in the above mentioned ingredients. Leave it for 30 minutes. 2. Then, in a wok, heat around three tbsp oil, add ginger garlic paste and wait till it starts to get golden. Add the chicken and fry. Once the chicken is almost done (you can tell by the moisture drying up), add the carrots, followed by the zucchini and bell peppers after an interval of about one minute each. 3. Add 1 1/2 cup of water with half a chicken cube and the sliced green chillies. Remember, you can add as many or as little as you like. It depends on how hot you can handle it! 4. Once it starts to boil, thicken it with corn flour dissolved in six tbsp water. Add it gradually and stir it constantly. Note: Check the seasoning. Add two tbsp soy sauce for a rich coloured sauce. You can also squeeze half a lemon and add it to the seasoning for a kick! Meanwhile, roast the peanuts in one tbsp oil till they turn goldenish-brown . Sprinkle the peanuts on top and add some red chilli flakes. Voila! You are done. Serve with boiled rice or fried noodles and enjoy! Happy cooking to all you busy people out there! PHOTOS: NIDA WAQAR Follow Nida on Twitter @Nidolicious

With the music of the Ranbir-Deepika starrer Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, music director Pritam brings to us one of the most widely anticipated soundtracks of this year. There are still two weeks left for the May 31 release but the buzz around the film has already reached fever pitch. With Ayan Mukerjee at the helm, the film is expected to have a certain amount of youthful energy and breeziness to it (remember Wake up Sid?) and the music has been a success so far. Moreover, through one of the highlights of the soundtrack we are able to see the variety that it offers. The album utilises the vocal prowess of a treasure-trove of singers. From established vocalists such as Sunidhi Chauhan and Rekha Bharwaj to new talents such as the increasingly-popular Arijit Singh and Sreeram (who first appeared on the radar as the winner of Indian Idol 5). Badtameez Dil (a song from the movie) kicks off the proceedings with Benny Dayal at his best. What started off as a trumpet piece has been developed into an out and out dance track! The crazy lyrics of the song may not be works of poetry but they sure compliment the feel of the song. Continuing in the same vein of lighter and fun dance tracks, there is, 'Dilliwaali Girlfriend'. This song is the closest to a Punjabi bhangra type of song that you will find on the album. Although, it took some time to grow on me, I love it! And the video definitely had something to do with it! Balam Pichkari is the catchiest song on the album. This sing-along takes you back to Rang Barse. Watch out, there is no way you will be able to resist this one! That said, Vishal Dadlani proves his versatility once again and female artiste Shalmali Kholgade matches him note for note! Ghahgra marks the return of 'Mohini' aka Madhuri to our screens. It is again an interesting item number that is impossible to miss especially with the excessive hype around it– it is a treat to see the dhak-dhak diva, Madhuri with the generation next’s superstar, Ranbir Kapoor! What an awesome duo, right? This flows into 'Kabira' a more emotional track that is sure to impress. Rekha Bhardwaj's powerful vocals bring out the nuances of Amitabh Bhatacharya’s lyrics that tell the story of heartbreak. What is even more impressive is the second version of the song, sung by Arijit Singh, who has now made a mark for himself with the versatility of his work. This is followed by two versions of 'Ilahi' – an original and reprise. The reprise has been rendered by Mohit Chauhan, who garnered critical acclaim for being the voice of Ranbir Kapoor in Rockstar. For me, both versions of the song have a 'road trip' kind of feel to them. And when I first listened to them, they reminded me a little bit of Rockstar's 'Phir se udd chala' but they sure bring in a fresh feel too. The album ends on a melodiously beautiful note with 'Subhan Allah'. This is without a doubt one of the best romantic tunes to have come out of Bollywood recently with its soulful proclamation of the beloved. Pritam, who has of late mostly redeemed himself from his earlier criticism of producing 'influenced' work proved his mettle by delivering two blockbuster soundtracks for 'Cocktail' and 'Barfi' last year. With 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani' he has once again proved that he is one of the top talents in music direction in today’s Bollywood. Happy singing every body! PHOTOS: https://www.facebook.com/YehJawaaniHaiDeewani Read more by Ayesha here or follow her on Twitter @ayesh_b

With a Bourne Identity meets Dante meets Harris Tweed thriller, Dan Brown is back with a bang with his new novel, Inferno. With it we again meet the erudite Harvard symbolist Robert Langdon. Much was speculated before Inferno hit the shelves, including whether the book would be about Da Vinci’s long lost masterpiece in Florence, but the speculations have now been laid to rest. Warning: some spoiler ahead. Robert Langdon in this story finds himself in a Florence hospital with no recollection of how he got there. He only has a laser pointer that reveals renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli’s depiction of medieval literary giant, Dante Alighieri’s Inferno. This is a part of Dante’s epic poem The Divine Comedy, the other parts being, Purgatory and Paradise. Aided by the attractive 208 IQ, Sienna Brooks, and hunted by shadowy Backwater type security agency, The Consortium, Langdon is launched on a quest to discover a weapon, built by a crazy mad scientist that has the ability to depopulate the planet of human species. To find that weapon, Langdon has to race against time, solving various puzzles and codes, travel from Florence, Venice to Istanbul before it’s too late to save the planet. The novel deals with the futuristic concepts of trans-humanism - an international movement that aims to enhance human intellectual, physical and psychological abilities by using cutting edge scientific research. It delves deep into the question of overpopulation and its effects on human civilisation, while exploring the deepest recesses of the hell visualised by Dante more than 600 years ago. Although Inferno is definitely a page turner, it suffers from being a bit too formulaic. From Angels and Demons, Da Vinci Code, The Lost Symbol to Inferno, it seems that Dan Brown is following a certain pattern for the Robert Langdon series, consisting of famous art pieces, a mad genius villain on an arcane quest, beautiful but intelligent female sidekick, and a forever alone Robert Langdon. All of this actually has the effect of making the novels a bit too predictable. Although to Dan Brown’s credit, he does pull out some surprises (thus upsetting the formula he has so faithfully followed in the preceding novels), but then quickly reverts to the same setting as the novel nears its ending. I found the ending of the novel somewhat anti-climactic, considering the crescendo of revelations and surprises that he was building up towards the end. Also, the book falls into the trap of erudition in which its predecessor, The Lost Symbol fell in, thus making the pace of the story lethargic. Parts of the novel give an impression that Dan Brown is acting more like a tour guide rather than a thriller author. It seems that he is under pressure from the armies of fans and detractors alike who religiously dissect every piece of fact to either uncover some hidden knowledge or to prove that Brown is really a nut job. Thus, the author, in order to impress (apparently), tries to cram ever more information so that you got to have an encyclopaedia with you every time while you are reading the book. Compared to The Lost Symbol, this book is less lethargic, but unfortunately nowhere near the genius of Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, Deception Point and Digital Fortress. That does not mean that Inferno doesn’t make up for a good read. The novel might make up for a summer blockbuster, but that, so far is undecided. Moreover, it seems that Dante’s Divine Comedy will enjoy a brief resurgence in readership amongst the younger audience before slowly fading back to relative obscurity. Despite some factual errors and a slow moving narrative, Inferno nonetheless is a highly interesting read, and towards the conclusion, the novel is un-put-down-able. Inferno definitely deserves a place in your bookshelf. Read more by Jamaluddin here or follow him on Twitter @einsjam

May is a seminal month in Karachi, an intermediary that hints of the pleasures of a South Asian summer. The searing April heat is omnipresent but in late afternoons you can hear the cuckoo’s song that makes it palatable. Since youth, I have heard the melodious sound and to this day it brings back memories of final exams, the never ending wait for summer vacations, gola ganda (ice cones) and all the other things that made summer the most important season for a child. It truly is the sound of Karachi’s summer, a redoubtable counterpart to the robin’s warble that heralds spring or the cries of the south flying birds that welcome winter. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540" caption="Photo: File"][/caption] Karachi’s summer weather is deliciously fickle, a courtesan whose coquetry and harsh indifference distracts one to distraction but come sundown she opens her charm first with a zephyr of cool sea breeze and then the loving embrace of the night’s quietude. Sultry days give way to ochre, silky dusks which melt into indigo nights and the moon never looks as kindly as it does then. Summers in those bygone days meant mangoes which always tasted better when unripe and stolen from a neighbour’s house. Of course, the green unripe fruit would, through alchemy, transform into the king of fruits to be gobbled at breakfast with piping hot parathas, eaten for lunch with crumbly baisan ki roti and at dinner as dessert with fresh cream. There would be other homemade mango delights such as ice cream, shakes, squash, pickle, and the Amrohvi filfora- a scrumptious concoction of mango pulp, onions, fresh mint, and chillies which is eaten for lunch with buttered bread. There would be mango parties with buckets of iced mangoes and ample utensils and appetite to go around. We would be as bold with our consumption as our tummies would allow. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540" caption="Photo: AFP"][/caption] Mangoes were a recurring refrain but no less exciting were the summer sports. The dive in the icy pool marked the beginning of vacations and no week would be complete without a pool foray. Nights would be put to good use with cricket. I played out several Imran Khan exploits in my head only to discover a woeful lack of talent. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540" caption="Photo: Reuters"][/caption] Nonetheless, the dawn halwa puri breakfast would more than make up for any defeats and soon I was making plans for the next match. If it wasn't outdoor sports then it were indoor games. Carom, scrabble, ludo, and chess were fixtures and helped through the lazy afternoons. Monopoly notes would be hoarded in sweaty palms until they fell apart and card sessions would last hours until the inevitable fights over barely concealed cheating or the yelling from elders to quiet down. Summer meant visiting cousins and spending the night at houses of tired but welcoming relatives and even random acquaintances for no reason. It meant having access to summer delights - video games for instance. It was the season for books with Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl, and Dickens - firm favourites. Comic books would be bought by the dozen and guarded and exchanged with all the earnestness of a Wall Street transaction. Comics would be best enjoyed in solitude or possibly around grandparents since they never asked silly questions about powers and costumes. Load shedding was ubiquitous but generators were still a luxury and the hum of the machines would be replaced by the cries of kids on the roads playing games of baraf pani and tag while the elders talked in the candle light or under the glow of emergency lights. Toddlers would swing in crude but effective dupatta hammocks and fall asleep in the serenity whilst listening to a grandmother’s lullaby. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540" caption="Photo: AFP"][/caption] The doggone days would pile up, the heat would increase and just when you thought that Dante’s inferno is coming to life, the heavens would open and down out everything in a deluge of warm summer rain. The lashing monsoon would wash away the physical and mental grime, leaving souls weightless and lead to splashing in puddles, water games and much revelry. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540" caption="Photo: AFP"][/caption] The event to mark it all would be the annual beach picnic. Uncles would plan like war generals; mothers would cook to feed entire battalions and the trumpet call would be planned for very early morning. Year after year the deadline to depart would be set and missed with equal regularity. The waves would beckon like sirens and the entire day would be spent getting brown and blissfully wet. We would return late in the evening, more seal than human, temporarily sated and utterly happy. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540" caption="Photo: AFP"][/caption] Come August you could hear a dirge - the millions of children lamenting summer’s end. School shopping would start and we would start the academic year finding solace in the knowledge that it may seem like an eternity, but we will eventually be welcoming another Karachi summer! Follow Sibtain on Twitter @sibtain_n

“Lahore. The second largest city in Pakistan; the fifth largest city in South Asia and the 26th largest city in the world but more than that though, this is the place of my parents’ birth and the place they now live in. I lived here only once, as a seven-year old, now at the age of 24, I’ve finally got another chance to visit the place of my origins, and recreate the early mementos of my childhood trip: my postcards from Lahore.”

I’ve always been disappointed by movies based on books that I’ve read because the director usually fails to bring the literary ingenuity to justice in the film. That’s why I made sure I didn’t read The Great Gatsby when I watched the movie, so that I could witness Baz Luhrmann’s magic on screen without constantly comparing it to the book. After all, he did a pretty decent job with Moulin Rouge and Australia! The Great Gatsby starts off with Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire), a depressed insomniac, trapped in a sanatorium, going down memory lane and recounting the days of his enigmatic youth. He keeps mentioning ‘Gatsby’, and how Gatsby changed his entire outlook on life. We witness Luhrmann’s interpretation of the wild, roaring, notorious, materialistic and wealthy American life of the 1920s filled with glitz, glamour, parties, and rambunctious effervescence and grandeur. The 3D images try to capture the essence of a thriving New York in all its extravagant splendour and exuberant vigour. Nick Carraway is one such Yale graduate living amidst New York’s thriving and opulent economy, making his way into the bond business. We are then introduced to Nick’s extravagantly wealthy relatives, his distant cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan), and her supercilious husband, Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton). Luhrmann goes way overboard in trying to capture the careless, superficial and wealthy lifestyle of the Buchanan household with the camera zooming in on the billowing white curtains that leave Nick stunned, as well as the shots of a bored, and superficial Daisy lying on a gargantuan couch, dressed in white, filled with opulent rapture, and desiring to do something fantastic with her lazy life. We find out that Nick lives in the fictional village of West Egg, right next door to a mysteriously famous man named Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) who throws extravagantly lavish parties. The movie unfolds with Nick being invited to Gatsby’s grand festival. Later, we come to know that Gatsby has had an affair with Daisy in the past, and is still in love with her. The entire movie centres around Gatsby’s tragic obsession with Daisy, his undying love for her and his objective in life, which is to marry Daisy. He wants to devote his life to Daisy’s happiness by showering her with his opulent wealth. Throughout the movie, one gets a sense of the decadence and discontent seeping into the rich American lifestyle, as the characters are dissatisfied with their spouses and having affairs on the sidelines. The pursuit of the American dream seems to be the central theme in the movie, and one can guess that this is something that is entirely an illusion as the central characters are absolutely miserable with their haughty, extravagant lifestyles filled with hollowness, loneliness and debauchery. So after 143 minutes of enduring an overly exaggerated extravaganza that resembled a complex mix of a zombie movie gone astray, mixed with an attempt to display a colourful 3D imitation of Alice in Wonderland , and Anna Karenina, what’s my verdict? Luhrmann is best suited towards producing musicals, and The Great Gatsby may have been better off as a tragic musical. However, I immediately read the classic novel after watching the movie and discovered that Luhrmann actually did his best to stick as close as possible to the beautifully written novella by Fitzgerald. He may have gone a tad bit too far with all the ecstatic opulence and the wild parties with Jay-Z songs blaring in the background (an attempt to modernise the audience’s vision of the American jazz age?), but he truly did his best and one can see that after reading the book. Although the movie was a bit too long, Luhrmann’s attempt to use 3D images to capture the despondent lifestyle of amoral 1920's America was an interesting way of bringing the novella to life. Moreover, his extravagant display of the luxurious, wild, and excessive splendour of Gatsby’s parties was his way of depicting how hollow the pursuit of wealth actually is, and somehow, the disillusionment of the characters became more and more obvious through the riotous, ritzy and exuberant wasteland known as 1920s New York. Leonardo DiCaprio is absolutely charismatic as the Great Gatsby, filled with an obsessive passion for the girl he loves. He brings the character of Gatsby to life beautifully, but we have already seen DiCaprio play the tragic lover boy who would easily die for the girl he loves in Titanic and Rome and Juliet, so his performance is nothing new. Carey Mulligan is appropriate as the selfish Daisy, and Elizabeth Debicki is passable as Jordan Baker (a friend of Daisy’s). Tobey Maguire barely has any role to play and is merely relegated to the role of acting as the mouthpiece of the movie, reading out Fitzgerald’s prose in an attempt to give the movie the same sort of melancholic splendour as the novella. The cameo appearance of Amitabh Bachchan (Meyer Wolfsheim) as a scrupulous bootlegger is absolutely horrible. However, Luhrmann should have left Fitzgerald’s masterpiece alone and perhaps made a movie out of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. PHOTOS: https://www.facebook.com/thegreatgatsbymovie Follow Filza on Twitter @FilzaNaveed

Set against the social and political upheaval following the infamous 9/11, Mohsin Hamid’s book is skilfully brought to life in the movie The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Instead of the somewhat stilted, ‘Excuse me, sir, but may I be of assistance?’ with which the book starts, the movie launches straight into old Lahore (sadly, a Lahore recreated and filmed in Delhi, given the potential volatility of the subject), with an electrifying qawali. And very soon, images of the qawals’ paan stained uvulas are interwoven with disturbing scenes as an American couple on the street is attacked, the man roughly bundled into a car. The screams of his companion as she runs after the speeding car are muffled by the sonorous beat of the devotional music. Mira Nair, the award winning director was one of nine filmmakers who made short films (11 minutes nine seconds and one frame long) relating to 9/11 soon after the event, so she is not new to the theme. In The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Nair displays a sensitivity to the medium. By changing the somewhat static setting of the book which is entirely based on a monologue taking place in a local chai khana (tea house) in Lahore, to some deft camera work which follows the main character Changez from Pakistan to the US, Philippines, Turkey and back again, obviously aware that what worked for a book would not work as well for a cinema audience. Other changes, and there are several, might irk those extremely passionate about the book, but they worked for me. Riz Ahmed as Changez has the speaking eyes and sensitive face associated with his character, an extremely intelligent young man, capable of carving a more than satisfactory niche for himself in a new country without losing his identity.  It is through him that the theme is played out, of America’s role in creating ‘fundamentalists’, whether reluctant or otherwise.  Changez embodies the changes wrought on the world stage as a result of this American role, through 9/11 and beyond. Interestingly, Changez meaning ‘change’ in French was not a deliberate choice, Hamid says. Kate Hudson (Melissa Gilbert on Junoesque lines) as Erica is magnificent. There is something extremely likeable about Hudson, which once again is most apt, because isn’t there something extremely likeable about the US and its people? And yet her relationship with Changez falls through, as does his professional life in the US, even though he attains positions that the rest of his class at Princeton can only dream of. When likened to a Janissary, although this comparison is made from a business point of view, Changez applies it to himself as a man working for those who are hostile to him. He resigns from his job, causing his boss Jim (Kiefer Sutherland), to switch uncannily from a fatherly patron to an employer with...did he have fangs, or was I led to imagine it? Definitely, one is led to see many things, such as the resentment harboured by the people of the third world, who after all are only a handful of them terrorists, against the US. The transformation undergone by Changez, the son of a once wealthy, educated family can be traced to many things, but the revulsion, shock and anger on the actor’s face during an excessively intimate examination by immigration officials at the airport says enough. Riz Ahmed is a talented actor, but he is also the biggest flaw when towards the end of the movie he gives a speech in Urdu. The unsuitability of an actor clearly not at home in his mother tongue being cast in this role is immediately obvious.  The character he portrays has spent almost his entire life in Lahore, the son of an Urdu poet to boot. This flaw is all the more regrettable since that speech did not live up to the rest of the screenplay and could have been dispensed with, its sentiments conveyed by some other means: note for Ami Boghani (who also worked with Nair in ‘The Namesake’) and William Wheeler, who have otherwise done well as screen writers. The rest of the cast...Om Puri as Abu, and Shaban Azmi as Ammi...have they ever not done a good job? They’ve certainly done well here, as also Meesha Shafi in her role as the distinctly vampish sister. And Liev Schreiber, who in the book was the man the monologue, was addressed to.  For a man whose height probably dictates his every role, he plays the American agent Bobby with immense sensitivity (no pun intended), creating layer upon layer of personality, helping to make the entire movie as worth watching, and thought provoking as the book. Both the book and the movie are crucial to the debate that should occur regarding the fundamentalism and militancy that besets Pakistan today. Read more about Rabia here 

I caught up with Ranbir Kapoor on his recent visit to London for the promotional tour of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewan (YJHD), his much awaited release this weekend. Ranbir Kapoor is the quintessential star kid, the scion of Indian cinema’s first family. After an underwhelming debut in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2007 Saanwariya, he has gone from strength to strength proving that he is here to stay based not on his famously enviable surname but for his own talent. Over the last few years Ranbir has dominated the award shows as well as the gossip columns. His haul of back to back statuettes from the most recognised and well-respected juries, though, have finally, he feels, vindicated his stardom. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTERVIEW STARTS Ranbir Kapoor walks into the room all suited up looking every bit the movie star that he is. As the movie maven settles down, we get down to our tete-a-tete. Ayesha:  Ranbir, out of your generation, you are one of the few actors who have emerged not only a star but also as a credible actor. Having just delivered exceptional performances in two extremely emotionally taxing roles back to back, has this film been a conscious break away from the pattern? Perhaps, a ‘lighter’ option? Ranbir:  Well you know it hasn’t really been a conscious decision on my part. Ayan Mukherjee, the director of the film, is one of my dearest friends and more importantly I enjoy and share his cinematic sensibility. For Yeh Jawaani, he had roped me in from a very early stage when he was still working on the script. He told me about the idea and I knew I wanted to be part of this story. Plus I had a great time working with him during Wake Up Sid. Ayesha:  Both Jordan (Rockstar) and Murphy (Barfi!) had their own worlds in a way. Bunny (Ranbir’s character in YJHD) seems to be much more relatable to present times, at least from what we have seen of the promos so far. As an actor, is it easier to play him then? Ranbir:  Not at all actually. I think I found it more challenging to play this guy. For Jordan and Murphy, we could create the characters in any way we wanted. They were ours to mould and in a way we could take a certain amount of cinematic license when playing them. With Bunny I didn’t have that liberty. In Rockstar I had that background of being from a Jaat family, I could prepare by spending time with them and seeing how there were. Then there was the character himself who was complex because of his life experiences and the angst he felt as a result of them – there was a reference point for it. Again with Barfi, it was set in a different time altogether, it was a period drama; the character was deaf and mute. So in a way you can use those narratives and settings to help you. Yeh Jawaani is set in our times. It’s very urban. In fact, my biggest challenge came from the fact that Bunny, the guy I play, is quite similar to me. I had to then play him using my own experiences as references which I found to be quite difficult. How do I play myself without making it boring? How do I make sure Bunny is engaging and interesting for the audience.  We had to think very carefully when adding dimensions to him without compromising on the believability part of it and staying true to Ayan’s vision for Bunny and the film as a whole. Ayesha:  The feel of the film is almost quite Wake Up Sid-esque… Ranbir:  Well, it’s coming from the same team so yes the heart of it will be similar. But there’s a lot more to Yeh Jawaani. It’s much deeper. It’s about growing up, finding yourself, your ambitions, first loves, heartbreaks. It has a flavour of all these powerful elements and captures the world of these four friends that Deepika, Kalki, Aditya and I play. It’s actually a lot deeper and broader and of course it’s a lot more glamorous. The scale is bigger. Wake up Sid was much narrower that way. I think what ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ is really saying is that ‘happiness is real only when it is shared’. It is not about where you go in life but more about the people around you and usually we get so caught up in our own lives that we forget that.’ Ayesha:  A lot is always made of you being a ‘Kapoor kid’ with a whole legacy resting on your shoulders. This year marks the 100th year of Indian cinema and the history of Indian cinema will be incomplete without a mention of your family’s contribution. Since you are part of the current generation of Kapoors, are you considering giving your family a tribute of some kind? Ranbir:  How can I do that? I mean I don’t think I am really in a position to pay a tribute like that. It would be a bit pompous if I were to do it anyway since it is my own family. My elders have been a part of the industry for generations now, almost 80 out of the 100 years actually, and I think the work that has been done by them is by itself a testament to the contribution that has been made. I know there has been news of a revival of the RK banner recently but no we are not looking at doing anything with the intention of paying a tribute to the family. Ayesha:  Fans would probably want to see you honour the family in some way maybe, though? Ranbir:  (laughs) Well the only way I can honour them I think is to act well. I guess if I do my job well and make them proud of what I am doing, I will be playing my part. Ayesha: If you had to pick that one piece of Indian cinema to show to someone who has never heard of Bollywood before, what would it be? Or which film for him, encapsulates the best of the hundred years gone by. Ranbir: (pause) I think it would have to be one of grandfather, Raj Kapoor’s film called Shree 420. It’s probably my personal favourite of all times. When you watch it you realise how relevant it was to the time when it was made and even now. As a film – its emotional, it’s entertaining and yet it is innocent. For me, it is an inspirational piece of work. Ayesha:  And if you had to pick something more recent? Ranbir:  Ah there have been quite a few films that I have really loved. I think I would say Aamir Khan’s 3 idiots. I found it to be a very wonderful way to make a socially relevant film. There’s also Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayegne which defined film making for our generation. It really encompasses everything that we cherish about our cinema. INTERVIEW ENDS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ranbir Kapoor’s passion for cinema comes across as genuinely heartfelt and after hearing him talk about his craft it is hard to not to wish him the greatest success in the future. If there is one thing that you notice as soon as Ranbir starts talking about films, his own or otherwise, is that this he is absolutely passionate about it. Growing up in a film family, surrounded my people involved in the different aspects of film making has definitely left him well-versed aesthetically and technically. More than anything else though, you get a strong sense of Ranbir speaking not only as someone who is involved in the process of creating cinema but also as a member of the audience. Ranbir is self-assured as an actor, aware of his stardom and despite all the conjecture about his public associations with co-stars he manages to stay true to his first love – cinema. **The film releases world-wide on 31st May and has been produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions. Read more by Ayesha here or follow her on Twitter @ayesh_b

Marvel Studios’ decision to hand Iron Man 3’s throttle to a second time director seemed risky at best, but thankfully Robert Downey, Jr (Tony Stark) and Director Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) have turned out to be as perfect a fit as Tony Stark and his powered suit of destructive armor. The often hilarious Iron Man 3’s strengths match the strengths of its director and lead actor. Shane Black, an experienced screenwriter who wrote the first two Lethal Weapon films, excels at writing droll action/comedies with clever pop references that feature a moody and restless hero in need of some character growth. In Iron Man 3, Robert Downey, Jr fits the bill and then some. Perhaps drawing on his own well documented struggle with substance abuse, he plays an edgy Tony Stark, suffering from anxiety attacks after struggling to cope with his near death experience in the New York alien invasion during the Avengers film. This movie asks us who Tony Stark is without the Iron Man armor. Stark is struggling with his own humanity, considering that his Avengers team is led by a super-soldier, a thunder god, and a giant god-busting green monster. To satisfy his anxiety driven need to be less vulnerable, Stark grows obsessed with his suits, a fact that doesn’t sit well with his girlfriend, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). Stark’s attention is diverted after the super villain Mandarin (Ben Kingsley/ Guy Pearce) begins launching terror attacks against American targets and issuing propaganda videos. In response, Stark issues a challenge, even providing the details of his home address. At this point we observe the methodical manner of the entire Mandarin terror campaign, with Mandarin’s public persona hitting all the right boxes in the DIY terrorist leader checklist; a possible commentary by Shane Black on the ‘war on terror’. Here, in an explosive action sequence, Mandarin’s helicopter gunships completely annihilate Tony Stark’s residence, endangering Pepper Potts, and forcing Stark to make an inadvertent escape to a faraway rural town in Tennessee with a malfunctioning Iron Man suit. Soon the cracks in the armor begin to match the cracks in the man, with Stark unable to shake his anxiety problems. Here, both cracks are given aid by Harley (Ty Simpkins), a technically savvy ten year old boy who exchanges some extremely amusing one-liners with Tony Stark. In typical Shane Black style, the bonding between the two takes place through some amusingly transparent attempts by Harley into emotionally manipulating his favorite superhero. Eventually Stark begins solving the mystery of Extremis, a powerful experimental treatment used by Mandarin’s forces, which make its users volatile both mentally and physically, granting them some fiery abilities.

Stunning locales, gorgeous people with well-sculpted bodies, a big fat Indian ‘destination’ wedding, the predictable song and dance routines and an item number with the heartthrob of the yesteryears, Madhuri Dixit, squeezed in for good measure; Yeh Jawaani hai Deewani (YJHD) has all the makings of a Bollywood blockbuster. By that definition, what it lacks is a good storyline/script and any semblance of originality. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani is a cocktail of similar stories that Bollywood churns out ad nauseum, the only variant being the actors of course. The movie has elements of the oft repeated tale of school buddies embarking on that one trip that will forever transform their lives (you have watched Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayengay (DDLJ) , Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Dil Chahta Hai, haven’t you?). It’s the story of a nerdy, bespectacled, obedient desi girl who has led a rather cloistered life under strict parental supervision and is now out to have her share of fun. She ends up falling irrevocably in love with the quintessential flirt (too reminiscent of DDLJ). This holiday, which our leggy lasses and their love interests are on, is not just any holiday; it’s a Himalayan trek to a peak situated 16,000ft above sea level! And in true Bollywood style, the director, in his infinite wisdom, has deemed miniskirts (in certain shots) the right attire for his heroine to scale the aforementioned peak. That was my first clue as to the cinematic ‘treat’ that lay in store for me. After they’re done with joyfully waltzing their way up and down the treacherous mountains, they go their separate ways and are not in regular touch thanks to their divergent futures. Naina Talwar (played by Deepika Padukone) goes on to fulfill her (or was it her parents’) dream of becoming a doctor. Bunny Aka Kabir Thapar (played by Ranbir Kapoor) realises his passion of becoming a photographer/journalist that enables him to trapeze his way around the world. Eight years later, their paths cross again, and voila, after spending a few days in each other’s company, Bunny has an epiphany of the romantic kind. He does a complete U-turn, vows to mend his flirtatious ways, let go of his job as a globe-trotting travel show anchor and decides to settle into comfortable domesticity. Now, look here, I’m no cynic. I’m a sucker for eternal romantic love and all its trappings, but to throw away everything you’ve worked for and dreamed about, for a girl you’ve spent about 12-15 days with (and that too spread over a period of eight years) seems a bit too implausible even to a romantic of my ilk. To be fair, there were some fun moments in the film that brought back memories of my own travel experiences. However, these were not enough to sustain the movie as a whole. The brilliant music of the film is the saving grace even though there is no discernible link between the narrative and some of the songs. So weak was the storytelling - especially during the second half of the movie - that I found myself impatiently longing for the impending song breaks. The feeble narrative left me unimpressed but the actors were a delight to watch and each of them has played his/her role to a tee. It was an absolute pleasure to watch the supremely talented Farooq Shaikh play Ranbir Kapoor’s father onscreen. Even though the screen time allotted to him is limited, Mr Shaikh manages to make an impact on the viewer. The emotive scenes between Ranbir Kapoor and Mr Shaikh pulled at my heartstrings and left me yearning for more. The siblings, Aditya Roy Kapoor and Kunal Roy Kapoor, are first-rate performers and I hope to see more of them in the future. Deepika and Kalki play roles that are diametrically opposite to each other; both have given remarkable performances. Ranbir Kapoor’s depiction of Bunny is flawless but actors of his calibre are wasted in movies like this one. I get the fact that ‘entertainers’ like YJHD cater to a certain segment of viewers for whom cinema is a route of escapism but films can be intelligent, stimulating (on an intellectual or emotional level) and highly entertaining at the same time, can’t they? Verdict: YJHD is as mindless as Ayan Mukherjee’s first film Wake up Sid was riveting. It has nothing new or extraordinary to offer. You won’t lose out on anything if you give it a miss. PHOTOS: https://www.facebook.com/YehJawaaniHaiDeewani Read more by Bhakti here.

Hey girls, but more importantly -- guys! The last time I wrote on fashion, I covered the all-important impact local fashion is having on terrorism (n' stuff). This time, thanks to the recently held first-ever Men's Fashion Week in Pakistan and Fashion Pakistan Week 2013, I present to you an exploration of men's fashion! I think the clothes really speak for themselves, but with a handy dandy speech bubble, I hope to call to your attention the nuances that go into design through the imaginings of the models that get to wear these splendid creations. Without further ado... THE HOTTEST MOMENTS IN PAKISTAN MEN'S FASHION 2013 Read more by Nadya here.

So last night I watched The Reluctant Fundamentalist at the cinema in Karachi (yes! we have cinemas!). I’d been looking forward to watching this for some time; the first feature film based on a contemporary Pakistani novel certainly deserved a viewing, to see how Mira Nair brought the whole story to life. What would she include, what would she leave out? I’d heard that the movie differed from the book in significant ways, adding a thriller twist that wasn’t in the novel. This could make the movie or ruin it.   For me as a writer, it was exciting to see the book metamorphose into two hours of cinematic story-telling. I can’t even imagine how Mohsin Hamid must be feeling, but I know that any writer would want to be in his shoes - if the movie succeeds, that is. If it flops, then he would probably want to crawl into a hole and not emerge for a while. Luckily, he doesn’t have to look for any holes, because the movie didn’t disappoint in the least. And while it was uneven in some places, dragged in others, on the whole it was definitely worth watching. The standout performance in this movie is Riz Ahmed, who plays Changez with the intensity and charisma of a very gifted actor. His liquid eyes remain the anchor throughout the film, the thing you focus on, the thing Mira Nair focused on in almost every frame of the movie. He is in turns innocent, guilty, angry, calm, passionate, detached, joyous and devastated. He speaks with a perfect Lahori accent, and his Urdu is admirable, even more polished than it was in Chris Morris’s “Four Lions”. His screen presence is tightly-controlled, vulnerable where it needs to be, and completely believable. Also excellent in the movie are Kiefer Sutherland as Changez’s shark-like Wall Street mentor - who impressed me with his perfect pronunciation of the word “Pakistan”, Nelsan Ellis as Changez’s friend and ally at Underwood Sampson, and Liev Shreiber as the American journalist who can speak perfect Urdu and may be playing a double game. Then there was a cameo by Turkish actor Haluk Bilginer who, while he was only on the screen for a short while, was a pivotal character for Changez’s own journey of self-discovery. The women in the movie were less impressive for me. Kate Hudson as Changez’s girlfriend Erica did what she does best: acting the part of a ditzy All-American girl, but the chemistry seemed to all come from Riz Ahmed, not her. Frankly, I couldn’t understand the meaning of the art installation that destroys their relationship. It’s also notable that Mira Nair seems to be repeating the pattern of the clueless western woman that we saw in The Namesake, where Kal Penn’s Gogol is so misunderstood by his well-meaning but culturally idiotic white American girlfriend. Does Mira Nair have something against western women? Meesha Shafi and Shabana Azmi in contrast were the strong Pakistani women in Changez’s life, as sister Bina and mother to Changez. However, Azmi seemed to be acting on auto-pilot, and I found Meesha Shafi’s role hard to understand; the bold-as-brass Lahori woman somehow didn’t gel properly with the more intense, nuanced Changez. Okay, now to the good stuff. The plot of the movie is changed from the book, which results in an unnecessarily melodramatic ending - the last fifteen minutes of the movie were an exercise in Hollywood cliche, and only ended up confusing me. It’s the middle of the movie which portrays Changez’s rise and fall in America that is the movie’s strongest section - his humiliation at the airport after 9/11, his treatment by his co-workers, his arrests and mistreatment by the NYPD all struck so close to home that it was difficult to watch. The containing action of Liev Shreiber’s journalist interviewing Changez at times failed to sustain momentum because the flashbacks and action kept chopping up the building intensity. This is why the movie felt uneven overall. However, the movie did clear up something very important for me: I finally understood what the “fundamentals” were and what the “fundamentalist” was meant to be, according to Hamid’s theme. It wasn’t the fundamentalist capitalist sharks at Underwood Sampson; it wasn’t the Islamic fundamentalists who are kidnapping American professors and causing terrorism. The fundamentals refer to something much simpler, that the Turkish publisher explains to Changez over lunch in Istanbul: your origins, your roots. The fundamentals of your life. The message being that you should always stay true to your origins, your basic beliefs, and that’s something impossible for a young Pakistani man to do in post 9/11 America. Changez struggles with staying true to himself; therefore he is the “reluctant fundamentalist”. I’m very glad that The Reluctant Fundamentalist has finally come to the big screen, and I hope it does well all over the world. It tells a very important story: of how each and every Pakistani has to make big choices about who he or she is, and what he or she believes in. And that those choices do matter, they have repercussions both at home and abroad. This film takes the nonsense rhetoric of “us versus them” and blows it out of the water. Instead, you’re forced to think of the world in a more sophisticated way: who am I in a world of us vs. them? Do I have to take a side? The answer isn’t always no, but it isn’t necessarily yes. And the movie gets close to the question, even if it doesn’t necessarily have the answer. This post originally appeared here. Read more by Bina here or follow her on Twitter @BinaShah  

I'm sharing with you all the recipe of a delicious and aromatic salad - a refreshing change from the mayo loaded salads or the typical mixed vegetable salads we have on a regular basis. It's a full meal in itself if served with crackers or garlic bread. Here is what you will need. For the salad: 250g boneless beef (try to get undercut as its the most tender part) 1 medium sized onion 1 small sized lettuce head (I used iceberg lettuce) 1 carrot 1 bell pepper 1 cucumber 5-6 button mushrooms 1/4th cup vinegar For the dressing: 1 tsp olive oil 1tsp soy sauce 4 tbsp lemon juice or 2-3 tbsp vinegar 1 tsp sugar Red chilli flakes, according to taste Method: Julienne all the vegetables and slice the mushrooms thinly. Don't cut the lettuce; just rip it with your hands into medium sized chunks. Take 1/4th cup vinegar and half a cup of water and bring to a boil. Add the onions. Once it gets boiling again, take it off the flame and drain. Slice the beef thinly in julienne style strips. Its best to slice beef when its semi frozen as it is easier to handle and you get evenly cut pieces. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and fry the beef on a medium flame with some freshly ground pepper and salt. Stir constantly for even cooking. Throw in the mushrooms after three minutes. You don't need to add any water because the beef is cut really thin and the moisture of the beef itself will be enough to cook it through. Overcooking will make it tough and leathery. Take it off the flame as soon as its dried up and has an evenly browned look. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="568" caption="PHOTO: NIDA WAQAR"][/caption] In a bowl, heat up two tablespoons of water and dissolve the sugar in it. Add the rest of the ingredients for the dressing and whisk briefly. Add all the ingredients of the salad in a mixing bowl and pour the dressing on top. Season with salt and chilli flakes. Chill and serve. You can substitute the beef with sliced chicken or grilled tofu. If preparing beforehand, cook the meat, cut the vegetables and prepare the dressing but store them in different containers. Combine the ingredients right before serving. Bon appetit!

Paragliding is the simplest and purest form of aviation that fulfils the oldest dream of mankind that is ‘flying’. Hunting for some adventurous sports, we (a group of office colleagues) decided to go paragliding. As paragliding looks risky to first-timers, we thought it best not to take the risk without first contacting professionals who could train us first and then lead us. After much research, we ended up at The Ultimate Adventure Club (TUAC). The reason we chose TUAC is that it is one of the largest adventure clubs in Pakistan and has CE certified equipment. They have internationally trained instructors who guide and test you before your first flight to determine whether or not you are capable of taking the flight. And that’s not all; they also have the cheapest rates I have come across so far! Charging Rs3,000 per person for the first flight and Rs500 for every next flight is not a bad deal at all! The one thing that I want to highlight here is that, you have to make bookings in advance as TUAC can only entertain 25 people per day. So, for instance, if you are a group of more than 25 people then you have to ask them for special arrangements in advance, so they can provide the required facilities to accommodate each one of you. However, they don’t offer any discounted rates. We were a group of 15 people but when we tried to negotiate the price, they didn’t seem to be too pleased. That said the price is still worth the flight! This is how it started... We left Peshawar early in the morning at around 5:30am; we were directed to reach Khanpur around 10am. On arrival, we were greeted with a warm welcome by TUAC team and then asked to follow them as Khanpur was not the actual place of our stay. After a 20 minute drive, we reached a small village known as Mun or Maan (however you like to pronounce it) where we were going to start our adventure! At first the members of TUAC gave us a detailed training session in which they enlightened us about the basics of paragliding. This lesson was very informative for first-timers as before listening to it, we were not even aware of how to tie the belts or hold the wires! After the training session, the guides gave us a physical demonstration on the ground and asked each of us to try it once as well. According to them this would help us in our first flight that was scheduled from a mountain that was 20ft high. So after practising on the ground, we started hiking along with the wings towards the peak of the mountain. On reaching our destination, I was the first one to go. I was excited and nervous all at the same time. I started tying up all the relevant belts and as soon as I got the go-signal, I stepped forward. My heart was in my throat at this point and I was scared to death but I kept running. Holding on to my belt tight, the guides were holding my arms and once they let go I was in the air! I held on to the handles tight and followed all the directions that were communicated via the walky-talky attached to my safety bag on my back. The 1.5 minute flight made my day! I was so enthralled by the whole experience that I decided to go all out and I went a second time as well! Though, it was not an easy job to climb the mountain for the second time it was completely worth it. I have never felt so free and alive in my entire life. I would recommend everyone to go for paragliding at least once in their lives! It is the most thrilling and liberating adventurous sport I have ever tried. PHOTOS: OSAMA YAWAR Read more by Osama here or follow him on Twitter @osamayawar

Burma is a culture-rich country nestled between India, China, Bangladesh, Laos and Thailand. Their cuisine is as rich as their culture and I have had the pleasure of enjoying some staples and delicacies during my growing years, mainly because my grandmother is Burmese. The key components of Burmese cuisine have been greatly influenced by the neighbouring country’s eating habits, the most notable being India, China and Thailand. That being said, Burmese cuisine is notably different from any others you might have come across, be it the sublime taste or the rich colourful presentation. A single bite can be hot and sweet, salty and sour, crunchy and chewy, all at the same time. The fact that my grandmother is Burmese doesn’t make me an authority on Burmese cuisine; it does, however, give me a fair idea as to what authentic Burmese cuisine tastes like. I was recently invited to sample some food at Mong Chow, a fairly recent entrant, featuring a relatively obscure (albeit delicious) cuisine, on the Karachi food scene. The food Since Mong Chow is set to open at Ocean Towers in Karachi later this year, the owner, Mrs Fauzia Maung Khuhro, decided to open the restaurant as a ‘delivery/takeaway’ out of her own kitchen. Her daughter, Ayela Khuhro, is helping her set everything up. The mother-daughter duo invited me to their home last week for some Mong Chow and I was over the moon, as I hadn’t had any good Burmese food in a long time. As I stepped into the house, I was greeted by Ayela and her dog, which left me a little apprehensive, for obvious reasons. After a brief round of introductions, Ayela led me to a bright reading room of sorts with bookshelves containing priceless tomes by literary giants including Dumas, Wordsworth and Burton. The room greatly lifted my spirits and I was hoping the food would too. We started off with a ‘Burmese Green Papaya Salad’ featuring shredded raw papaya garnished with some deep fried onions and garlic, with a dash of finely chopped coriander. I was a bit hesitant to taste this salad, mainly because I hate papaya, but I’m glad I tried some. Even though it was a little on the sour/tangy side, I liked it for the crunch and freshness it had to offer. On the whole, it tasted phenomenal. I’d kill for a bottle of that dressing. I’d rate it a solid 9/10.

Burmese Green Papaya Salad

Indra Kumar followed a simple formula for success  back in the 90s. Typically, the first half of his films would be based on comedy, while the second half would be a tear jerker. David Dhawan followed a similar approach in some of his films. Additionally films like Dil, Ishq and Shola aur Shabnam were along the same lines. Karan Johar with his Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham improvised on the same formula. We can find similarities with Priyadarshan’s brand of humor as well. Then, on the turn of the millennium, Raju Hirani took this method to a whole new level. In both his Munna Bhai films as well as in 3 Idiots, Raju took the audience through an emotional roller coaster ride where there was no plausible interval between comic sequences and emotional drama. One moment, his audience would be laughing non-stop and the next moment they would be overcome by heartfelt sentiment. Mrigdeep Singh Lamba’s Fukrey has mirrored the style established by Raju Hirani. There are multiple moments in the film where you have not fully recovered from your laughter when a new development in the story leaves your mind reeling with emotion. Having said that, like the predecessors of this method, Fukrey is  primarily a comedy film, something like Delhi Belly with a Punjabi touch. Fukrey revolves around four guys, not necessarily friends, but trapped together in some interesting (read: tricky) situations. Humor ensues and they eventually conquer the challenges faced, predictably so. While the basic premise has nothing new to offer, it is the underlying tones in the script and treatment of the screenplay that distinguish the film. Fukrey does not offer a perfect protagonist like 'Rancho' of 3 Idiots. To the contrary, the heroes are weak individuals  looking for shortcuts in life. They have no money, they can’t study and they are willing to cheat their way into a college admission. While the film follows the tried and tested mix of several directors, Fukrey neither bores the audience, nor does it seem repetitive. The charm of Fukrey is boosted by its committed cast. The characters are detailed and fun. 'Bholi Punjaban', for example, carries a dappled personality: she is narcissistic and foul-mouthed with a 'Sindrella' tattoo on her neck. Meanwhile, the college watchman 'Pandit' - a kind, soft spoken yet corrupt guy, leaks exam papers, seeking backdoor registration for unqualified students in exchange for money. Both Richa Chadda and Pankaj Tripathi have handled their roles splendidly. Seeing Richa in a purely comic role after her intense acting in Gangs of Wasseypur was a joy. Similarly, Pankaj Triptahi’s role was a complete contrast to his performance in Gangs of Wasseypur, showing his adaptability as an actor. The four protagonists of the film are also well-selected. While Ali Fazal as 'Zafar' is relatively unimpressive, the other three leads are hilarious. Pulkit Samrat, being the smart wizard, reminds you of 'Amar' from Andaz Apna Apna or 'Raju' of Hera Pheri - good at heart but willing to make easy money through shady means. Pulkit’s comic timing is spectacular and his chemistry with 'Choocha' is excellent. 'Choocha' on the other hand is a cross between 'Zach Galfianikis' of Hangover and 'Babu Bhaiyya' of Hera Pheri. He is spectacular when it comes to dreaming the lottery results but a certified idiot in all other respects. Still, he surprises you when it comes to his survival instincts. His scenes with Richa Chadda are utterly hilarious. Manjot Singh is also enjoyable in his role as 'Sardar Ji'. He portrays a nice guy who does not want to charge people who eat at his father’s shop yet wishes for admission into a college without having to study for it. He swears that he will teach a lesson to his cheating girlfriend but ends up waving and smiling at her. In the first fifteen minutes of the film, I thought that Fukrey will offer several smiles but fall short of making me laugh. I spent the next hour and a half laughing uncontrollably at the characters' antics. I highly recommended watching Fukrey! Read more by Sami here, or follow him on Twitter @SamiSaayer

In 1976, Bollywood released a film called Hurfun Maula (jack of all). Very few people realised that this was actually a premonition for what Najam Sethi's future career would be. The Lahori Man For All Occasions (LMFAO) is now leading the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), after stints as caretaker CM Punjab, anchor on Geo, and editor of Friday Times. So here are some suggestions on what he should do in his latest job. Change the Name: As you might have realised, Pakistan is currently as popular on the global cricket scene as a leper in a surgery ward. However, you can use some good old Pakistani tricks to change this situation. Option A would be changing PCB's name; after all, banned groups in Pakistan do this with great success all the time. Try and be trendy, like #NayaPCB, or better yet, use a fun sounding new name like Shahid Afridi Manufacturers (SAM) so that everyone at the ICC calls you Uncle Sam and they all have a good laugh and forget why they shunned us in the first place. Option B would be to change the names of our stadium venues. Rename Gaddafi stadium to Lord’s Cricket Ground, and send out tour invites to other teams for matches there. Do remember to hang a sign on the stadium reading “Humari koi aur shaakh nahi” (we don’t have another branch) in order to complete the ruse. Ban the banned players from TV appearances: We all know that you have more alter egos than a Scooby Doo villain, but while switching caretaker jobs, you would’ve noticed how often certain banned players appear as analysts on TV. I’m speaking particularly about one banned, spot-fixing ex-captain who pretends to still be innocent even as his legal team admits his guilt in foreign courts. I know this won’t be a popular decision with your friends in the media, but as a compromise, maybe you can allow banned players to only come on those talk shows where the anchors have also been caught fixing. WHFD: I know these four letters sound like some weird text-speak, but they actually stand for “What Has Fawad Done”? And honestly, what has Fawad Alam done? Despite spectacular domestic statistics and significant hipster support, Fawad’s international career is like our national consensus on combating terrorism – virtually non-existent. The only possibility is that he has committed some grave, unforgivable sin that none of us know about. Could you please mobilise your infamous chirriya to tell us what that could be? In all honesty, we've given up on hoping for him to play cricket for the national side ever again, so at least just tell us the reason why. Train the commentators: As a media man and TV anchor of considerable repute, this is another job that should be right up your alley. Firstly, Ramiz Raja seems to have perfected jinxing the team every time he comes on to commentate. Since our team is barely in need of any further bad luck, the Rambo-curse is quite catastrophic. Please see what you can do about that. Secondly, for no rational reason, Aamir Sohail tends to “...to...talk...likethiseverytimehespea... ks”. Clearly this is a rhythm issue, and one that requires immediate attention. Some might ask you to also intervene in Wasim bhai’s ongoing ‘War on Grammar’, but he’s Wasim bhai and the only laws that apply to him are the ones he makes up himself. The Taher Shah directive: As caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab, you must have realised that nothing works quite as well as a topical policy that is high on PR and low on tangible value. Therefore, I implore you to capitalise on the current success of Eye to Eye. I am sure there are a wide spectrum of uses and applications, but one instant classic would be to get Taher to sing the new Indian Premier League (IPL) anthem, called Eye To Eye-pee-ell. This would go a long way towards normalising relations with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), allowing Pakistani players in the IPL, and eventually solving all political and social crises in the subcontinent... Eye to Eye. Discipline giant-soft-drink-brand: I know that a certain giant-soft-drink-brand is the PCB’s chaddi-buddy, but you must force the international behemoth to break its ties with the Dajjal/Illuminati. You may scoff at this, but there is ample proof of such links in their pre-tournament commercials. For example, in the run-up to the 1996 World Cup, a giant-soft-drink-brand advert showed a young boy dismissing Warne and Lehmann, before being offered a place in the national side by Ramiz Raja. The precocious brat replied that he’d only join if he was made captain; that ad has since been reliably shown to have led to two decades of captaincy-related infighting. Similarly, the current ad where Misbah tells Irfan, “Pahunch to gaye ho, magar abhi itne barray nahi huay” (You got here but you're still young) was an eerie precursor to Irfan later (inadvertently) denying Misbah a maiden century by getting out, and is therefore further proof of giant-soft-drink-brand's Illuminati driven agenda. Please see into this. Fix the PCB and all its problems: LOL, just kidding! I just wanted to finish this piece with a joke. Read more by Ahmer here or follow him on Twitter @karachikhatmal

Cheesecake cravings are horribly inconvenient if you’re on a diet because this delicious dessert is as fattening as it is appetising.  Sometimes, you really wish you could have a bit without worrying about the huge calorie intake. Well, there is a solution to your dilemma – the yummy no cheese cheesecake! No cheese cheesecake has all the attributes of being the perfect cheesecake, except it is not made of deadly, heavy cream cheese. Its main ingredient is the much hyped Greek yoghurt. Greek yoghurt is a healthy high-protein, low-carb alternative to regular yoghurt. You can have it for breakfast with fresh fruit and cereal or use it in a variety of dips and salad dressings. This particular recipe is a healthy version of the infamous New York cheesecake, with just the right tinge and texture. I stumbled upon it during my search for healthy dessert options and after two to three attempts, the recipe was finalised. The cake is surprisingly easy to make. It requires minimum effort and gives impressive results. Do give it a try! Ingredients For the filling: Plain yoghurt 2kg Sugar 1-1/4 cup sugar Eggs 4 Vanilla extract 2 teaspoons Lemons 2 Cornstarch 1 tablespoon For the crust: Digestive biscuits 8-10 Butter 2 tablespoons Brown sugar 1 teaspoon Garnish: Fresh fruit, cream or jam Method: To make Greek yoghurt, lay a piece of cheese cloth or muslin in a bowl. Add yoghurt and let it drain by keeping it in a large sieve. You can also try gathering up the edges of the cloth and knotting them over an upper cabinet handle so that the yoghurt hangs over a bowl to drain. Drain the yoghurt for about two hours. While the yoghurt is draining, you can make the crust. To do so, crush the digestive biscuits and add butter and brown sugar to them. Put the mixture in a 9-inch springform pan and blend it well with your fingers. Press it on all sides of the pan to form the crust base. Now keep it in a preheated oven (180° C) for eight minutes. Once it is nice and brown, take it out and keep it in the fridge to cool. To make the filling, combine the strained yoghurt, eggs, sugar and vanilla and blend with a beater or food processor. Add cornstarch, lemon juice (2 tablespoons) and a pinch of salt before blending the mixture again. Now pour the mixture into the prepared crust and bake at 180° C in the oven for 35-40 minutes. After 35 minutes, check the cake for firmness. It is done when it’s set on the edges and still a bit shaky in the center. Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool in the fridge for at least four hours, or overnight if possible. Once it’s completely cooled, release the springform and take the cake out in a serving dish. Pour some slightly heated blueberry/strawberry jam over the cake or decorate it with fresh fruits before serving. I assure you the results will be very pleasing to your flavour-loving taste buds. Better still, you will not be feeding your  weight-watching body a ton of unhealthy calories! Best of luck recreating this recipe. PHOTOS: SAMEEA ZAFAR This post originally appeared here.  Follow Sameea on Twitter @SameeaZafar

The typical lifestyle of a typical Pakistani housewife is, in one word, sedentary. Our movements are limited to settling into air conditioned cars and hovering about our servants’ heads as we tell them how to do all the work. So, what do we do as we begin to see size-zero heroines and start worrying that our waists are beginning to attain their own zip codes? You walk into a Zumba class. I went in with a friend, moderately confused and totally self conscious. What was I going to do? How was I going to lose weight? Would I walk out feeling ten pounds lighter or would I feel like a complete fool? My trainer, Samina Naz, began doing some light exercise-like steps and a group of us girls followed. Pretty soon we were following her into quick movements and while I was sweating bullets, I realised I was having fun. The music was catchy, the steps were quick and fun and one of my closest friends was dancing away with me. How bad could it be, right? I was surprised at how fit and healthy I began feeling as the weeks progressed. I actually began missing the days I wasn’t Zumba-ing for an hour! The inspiring woman that pushes us all into shape is Samina Naz. She has been running her successful fitness studio in Karachi for years and is a certified trainer and Zumba instructor. She has been teaching Aerobics, Pilates and Zumba after having received training/licenses from Thailand and the United States. Samina inspires lazy bums such as yours truly to not let themselves go and instead stay fit, active and live a healthy lifestyle. She tells me about what Zumba is and how it helps. What is Zumba?

Zumba is a Latin inspired dance-fitness class that is now being practised in over a 100 countries with over two million weekly participants. Based on the principle of interval training – alternating high intensity and lower intensity exercise, it works for both beginners and advanced exercisers. The changes in intensity are driven by the different rhythms of the music and steps – without the negative effects of high impact aerobics.

You will fit ‘fun’ into a busy schedule, reduce stress, burn fat, smile for an entire hour, maintain a healthy weight, build endurance and coordination, tone every major muscle of your body, increase circulation and flexibility, strengthen your heart and lungs and gain confidence. What better way is there to burn calories?

We start with a warm up of about 12-15 minutes, then move through eight to ten routines which vary in intensity and style – Merengue, Salsa, Reggaeton, Cumbia, Quebradita, Calypso, even a little belly dancing and hip hop! Sometime we also add a bit of our local music to the international beats and steps. Zumba blends traditional dance steps with basic fitness moves so everyone can participate. We finish with standing abdominal work and then a cool down and stretch to bring the heart rate down and relax the muscles.

The Zumba program is the most effective, innovative, and exciting workout designed for everyone. They say it is “exercise in disguise” - participants have so much fun that they do not realise they are exercising.

Finding a form of exercise that you want to stick with can mean the difference between success and failure. With Zumba, how fast you lose weight depends on how much you put into your workout, how often you dance and the diet you follow along with your exercise plan. It also depends on your energy and intensity level. Thousands of people have lost weight doing Zumba, but consistent and energetic participation is very important. If you work out about five to six times a week for an hour each time, you may see results in about six to eight weeks.

The weight loss which results from doing Zumba workouts depends on you. How much effort you put into your workout, how long your workouts last and how often you workout all determine the rate at which you will lose weight. A 150lb woman who does not change her eating habits, but dances at a moderate-intensity for 60 minutes four times per week, could burn about 400 calories per hour and will lose about one lb every three weeks. The same number of workouts will take a 200-lb woman only about two weeks to lose the same one lb of weight at 540 calories per hour.

In 2009, when The Hangover hit big screens around the world, it created a ruckus about the characters of the movie and set a new standard in Hollywood’s screwball comedy genre. The sequel to Hangover, Hangover 2, released in 2011, received a similar response. Hangover 3 now brings the franchise to an end. Phil Wenneck (Bradley Cooper), Dr Stuart “Stu” Price (Ed Helms), Doug Billings (Justin Bartha), and Alan Garner (Zach Galifianakis) reprise their roles from the previous two installments as the ‘Wolfpack’. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD   The first few minutes of the movie focus on Alan, who is still a child inside the body of a 42-year old man. After his father passes away, his family along with Phil and Stuart decide to send him to a mental institution so he can return as a changed man. On their way to Arizona, masked men attack the Wolfpack, abducting them and presenting them before Marshall (John Goodman). Marshall’s accomplice is Black Doug (Mike Epps), the same person who sold drugs to Alan in Hangover part 1. Marshall tells the Wolfpack a story they can barely believe. It seems that Leslie Chow (Ken Jeong) escaped from a maximum security prison in Bangkok and stole Marshall’s gold worth $21 million. The four friends are unaware of Chow’s whereabouts - except for Alan, who has been exchanging letters with Chow for months. The Wolfpack have no clue about Alan’s friendship with Chow. Marshall makes a deal with the Wolfpack - he will release Doug once the Wolfpack finds Chow and recovers the stolen gold. The movie has the element of surprise as none of the main characters literally experience a hangover unlike the previous two installments, otherwise it might have turned out to be a monotonous affair. The movie’s linear plot, with all of its main characters working non-stop to reach one main goal, is similar to its previous two parts - the reason why this franchise has performed so well. What is amazing about Hangover 3 is the fact that the plot, not even for a second, deviates from the Wolfpack’s mission. The credit goes to the director and the producer who used the same approach with Hangover 1 and 2. The movie, however, has its weak points. Although third time is the charm, this doesn’t really apply to Hangover 3. Yes, the movie has some laughs. However, some of the jokes are too predictable. Alan could have been the comic relief of the movie, but his childish and immature behaviour is nothing but an extension from his role in the previous two movies, making him a flat and annoying character during some parts. Whereas the movie follows a concrete plot, it seems at points as if the Wolfpack has lost some of its chemistry - chemistry that had remained intact up till the last installment. The Wolfpack’s strength is their ability to work as a cohesive team. Unfortunately, that was not the case in this particular movie. Moreover, Jade (Heather Graham), who got married to Stu in the first part, only made a cameo appearance, turning Hangover 3 into an all-men affair. The movie ends with Alan turning over a new leaf and getting married, which indicates that the franchise may actually have ended. Had the director been working on a fourth installment, Alan would have retained his childish state. However, the end credits show otherwise. Whatever the case is, I hope that the director and producer don’t make their decision in haste. If there is a fourth part of Hangover on its way, it should have a crisp story and witty dialogues – the elements that made Hangover part 1 a blockbuster success! Read more by Omar here or follow him on Twitter @omariftikhar